Shadowbane

"Oh look, another failed 'chosen one'. What a waste of fucking time." Godwin scoffed.

Both Jasper and Hera's eyes went wide as they looked at the older Lizardman sitting to their left.

The shaman looked back at them and smiled. "It okay! We get grumpy old men a lot. They do ceremony like everyone else, then leave."

Judging from his demeanor, the shaman truly doesn't mind Godwin's constant bitching. A few of the Lizardmen are laughing, and there is even one Lizardman mocking Godwin by pretending to be him while using their native tongue, which is where most of the laughter is originating from. However, every time he opens his mouth, I see a few of the Lizardmen snarl and grab for their weapons. They always stop themselves, but it's obvious that Godwin isn't exactly painting us in a good picture here. If I had any skin in the game I'd knock the old fucker out. Fortunately, I have no desire whatsoever to intervene, I still consider all of this to be someone else's business. They've even exempted me from the ritual. Some of the Eldritch here told the shaman that my soul is too distorted for the dagger.

It's been a few hours since our attempted escape. In that time, Jasper was sent through the portal with the shaman to tell the others to surrender. While the Guardians had immediately resigned upon hearing why they were surrendering, the Ifrit Legion however had apparently been outraged, turning around and leaving immediately to inform Viseux and Khan Uluhm about the Guardians 'betrayal'. The Templars were exempted from the ritual, seeing as they already pledged their soul to another god. Markus is currently outside mingling with the Lizardmen, learning everything he can about the situation. Apparently Arkaios is pleased with the Hydra's plans to take over Urza. Because of this, Markus already considers the Lizardmen allies of his. No amount of cultural or worldly changes will affect his determination to make this co-existence work, such is the commitment of those who pledge their souls to gods.

... I saw the same thing back in the other realm, but it wasn't by choice. Once a Xerathian god began taking root in your nation, you were already 'loving' it whether you wanted to or not. The sight of my family kneeling in reverence with smiles on their faces as that thing walked through the street is one memory I wish I could erase. Fortunately, it's offset by the memory of me killing the fucking abomination. All of the people there couldn't decide whether to cry in terror at losing their god, or cry tears of happiness for finally being free. My family was no different.

Ahh damnit... Don't think about this. Every time there is a lull in my life, I end up thinking about the time I watched as my family slowly died, or all the horrible shit that went down in Xelba. Trying to think of the happy memories I created with my friends is impossible, it always leads to images of when they were eaten flashing through my mind... I wonder if Simon and Nera are still alive? Last time I saw them I was throwing them through the Elven portal. I hope they're still alive... I really need to see them again.

A change in the scenery around me brings me out of my daze. Apparently it was Hera's turn, as she's now holding the dagger up and staring at the glittery blade.

"Oh hell no!" Godwin goes to stand up, promptly falling face flat onto the stone floor.

Looking around, I see the Drakonian from earlier who was sitting behind Godwin has his hands interlocked in some kind of weird triangle pose.

"You did that?"

"Yes. I've been channeling my mana into Master Godwin for awhile now, just in case his family was able to retrieve the dagger. It does not require a genius to understand that he was going to turn violent if his family was 'chosen'."

Smart move... Not that I put any thought whatsoever into such an event taking place. I was only going to watch regardless of what happened.

Honestly, these people do seem nice, and the old me would probably be trying to make a new home for myself here. After losing everything so many times in my life though, I'm just... I don't know. I really don't know what I want. That's why I'm defaulting to getting strong enough to make the journey home. I feel like I need to see Simon and Nera, or maybe my Uncles and Aunts. Just... Anyone from my past who knows me. Maybe after relaxing with them for awhile I'll be able to figure out what to do with this new life of mine.

With that said, I can't deny the other part of me that is determined to hunt Viktor down and eat him alive one piece at a time. The shaman has already hinted that they want me to find him, which is something I obviously want to do as well, but... That kind of feels secondary to returning home. He's had forty-two years to prepare, a few more won't make a massive difference.

Up near the altar, Jasper is now plunging the dagger into his chest.

Looks like he was chosen too huh...

"Family chosen together, very normal. Family be together, very important." The shaman said, looking at me.

Oh, so Godwin is gonna be a 'chosen one' too? I wish I had a camera for that momentous event.

"What is the point of this exactly? Do 'chosen ones' get anything in particular?"

"Pledged to Lord Terra'ka they are. Live very long lives. Some humans, four-hundred years old! Also, turn magic into personal abilities much easier."

Oh, so this whole ritual is to create worshipers? Living longer is a staple for hybrids or those who tie their souls to a god. Never heard of it making abilities easier to create though, that's actually huge. Janet's bombs would normally cost a massive amount of mana and take time to create, but as an ability even I could summon a few of them instantly for much cheaper.

With the aid of a Lizardman, Jasper picks Godwin up off the floor, carrying him towards where the cages are.

Hera walks up to me. "We're going to lock him up for now, let him cool off after he wakes up. Once he completes the ritual, he'll hopefully stop whining so much."

"I don't think anything will stop him from complaining, but for now that's a good plan."

At the altar, the Gorilla holds the dagger high while roaring, and then breaks out into dance. The Lizardmen cheer loudly, breaking out into dance as well.

"More friends, always good!" The shaman said, getting up to dance.

"If only it were that simple..." The Drakonian mumbles.

"Got a bad feeling about this? Also, what is your name?"

"... Call me Drak."

Obviously a made up name, but alright that's fine.

"No amount of flowery language can alter the fact that they are going to conquer your home. The land will change, those in charge will change, the culture will change. This 'Ifrit Legion' had the correct reaction as far as I'm concerned."

"True, even if they do save Urza, it will no longer be 'Urza'. All the people who fought for it up till this point, will not be very pleased to see the land around their homes change into something alien. Trees turning to mushrooms is going to evoke a lot of violent reactions. There's a reason people hate Eldritch and generally hate Hybrids as well."

"Yet, you seem unconcerned by this?" Drak said.

"Because I am. The first chance I get I'm going back to Aetheria."

"Ahh, I did not see the pointy ears till now. They are mostly hidden by your hair." Drak continued. "In that case, why not have them take you to the Elven portal here?"

"I planned on it, but I need to know where it leads to. Aetheria is massive after all. My mom told me that Urza is barely three percent the size of Aetheria. The Elves reside in the Northern continent where the ruins are, and because there are Elves in those cages back there, I have high hopes their portal is in the North as well. No guarantees on that though. Even though people here call it the Elven planet, we're only a small fraction of the population there."

"In that case, let me tell you where it leads. The portal is deep into the jungles on the main continent down south. Does the name 'Thelmarg Jungles' sound familiar? It's where I lived, and those Elves were runaways hiding out there."

"No... But I do know what continent you're talking about. Sadly, it's very far away from where I need to be. Those Elves managed the trip though, so I'm sure I can as well."

"I would not use them as a reference. They came in through parachute along with several other families. Also, you cannot leave the jungle through normal means if the god there does not allow it. You may end up trapped there." Drak said.

"An Eldritch? Wait, didn't the Hydra say corruption was necessary to create a portal... Is Aetheria that far gone as well?"

The shaman cut-in. "No. Size matters. To corrupt big planet, much much more difficult compared to tiny moon. Jungle around dragon-man village corrupted by Eldritch, so we able to create portal there. We leave though, close portal soon. No need for access to maze with no benefits."

"What the shaman means, is that the Eldritch messes with your perception, making it impossible to leave. He feeds off of all the souls in the jungle so, it's in his best interest that nobody is allowed to leave. On the bright side, food and fresh water is plentiful, because it wants you to live a long life and breed a lot, creating more souls for it to feed off of."

"Want me ask Lord Terra'ka if portal be made near Elves? He will know if corruption near." The shaman said.

"You would do that? Then yes, by all means please do!"

The shaman smiles, then enters deep meditation.

I can't believe I'm hoping there is deep corruption somewhere around my home, but it really would help me.

A few minutes later the shaman opened his eyes.

"Bad news. Elven god no spread corruption, he different. There is corruption far west, but bad idea go there. We open portal before, everyone die very fast, including Eldritch, no one know why."

"West... The dark lands? I don't remember anything about that place besides the fact that nobody lives there, and it's eternally dark because of where it's located."

It's one long strip of land on Aetheria that is blocked from both sources of light. Neither the sun nor Mother shines down upon it.

"I'm afraid I have no information on it either." Drak said.

Well... That's that I guess. While the dark lands sound perfect for me, there could be a bunch of powerful beings living there who can sense me through my veil. I don't see a need to risk it, I'll just take one of the portals here to another moon or planet. It's slower that way, but there's a much higher chance I'll make it home.

"Out of curiosity, why do you attack the places you open portals into? Whether they pass the ritual or not, you're clearly out to make more allies than enemies."

The shaman shakes his head. "Go through portal, wave hands, try make friends, no good. Always lead to more fighting. Show might, show power, that quiet down noisy humans for little while. Then fight again, noisy humans who tell others to fight shut up again. Dance like this till controlled humans kill noisy humans."

'Noisy humans' huh? I assume he's referring to politicians and other nobles. Xelba had their fair share of them.

"And then it's all over? There has to still be people lower on the food chain who don't want you colonizing their home."

"Oh yes, many of those. Lord Terra'ka allow them pick out land, we don't extend domain there. They keep land, create own nation, but we crush it if they get noisy again. They also required to assist in fighting Demons. No need to help with Xerath, we take care of them."

As the dagger burns Drak's hand, Markus comes through the temple doors, walking up to me quickly.

"Where is Godwin?"

"They knocked him out, he was rather unhappy upon seeing Hera pick up the dagger."

Markus scoffs. "Fucking fool, we don't have time for this. Another portal is opening a few miles away from Thule. Lord Terra'ka says it's the Demons. They also have limited access to our world now that Urza is past a certain threshold of corruption."

"Did he tell you if that's why the sky is pitch black as well?"

"No, they are at a loss as to why the sky is blotted out. Now that Urza is partly connected to the Xerath's realm, they will begin corrupting parts of the land if an Eldritch doesn't claim the land for themselves, but there's no way one would have become a god this quickly. Plus, they're not even certain if a Xerathian is the one responsible."

"Is that why the Demons bring over faceless ones, to raise the corruption level of that world? Er, I mean Xerathians. I need to get used to that name."

"Yes. Demons need help moving between realms. Every 'faceless one' on a world increases corruption level, based on strength. Chaos magic also raise corruption level on world by very large amount. Humans summoning Demon, worst thing that can happen." The shaman replied.

Me and Markus look at each other.

"Well shit, that explains a lot. Everything did change after those idiots summoned a Satyr." Markus said.

"Satyr?! You have humans that summon powerful Demon...? It must quickly be killed! It will keep raising corruption level, it must be stopped."

"Don't worry Shaman, we purged it awhile ago." Markus replied.

The shaman sighed with obvious relief.

"What's the plan then Markus?"

"The Templars and I shall stay here, praying to the artifact until we are ready to destroy the portal. I've never done such a thing, but Lord Arkaios says it's possible, so that's what we shall do. In the mean time the Lizardmen and Guardians are going to kill any Demons that appear."

"Yes. Portal strength dependent on corruption level and those who create it. It take time to recharge, each Demon that come through drain its strength. We kill all that are guarding portal, we able to encircle it, prevent Demons from digging deep, creating defenses."

Markus looks at me. "With that said, I'd like to ask you to take Lady Aresa north to Viseux. She's helped enough, and needs to be returned to her chateau. Being away from it for so long is harmful to her."

"I don't mind, but shouldn't Devon be taking her? I thought she rode in his wagon. Speaking of which, where the hell is he?"

"You don't know...? He never stopped in Thule. He wanted to return to Viseux as fast as possible to hold a meeting concerning everything that happened. Their wagon is not only one of the best on Urza, but it was also in the back so it didn't run into any ice at all."

Oh, so that's why I haven't seen anyone from Aresa's entourage.

"I assume I'm running North while carrying her?"

"No, you'll take her on a wagon. She may have come with Devon, but she has her own personal wagon. Also, we want you to take the delegates Lord Terra'ka has chosen. They will be his representatives in Viseux."

Markus pulls a coin out of his pocket. "Here, take this. This is proof that they are my guests. With this, they should be treated well. If not, well... I'll take care of that when I return."

"... One last thing. I don't quite know how to word this so I'll just be straight with you. You all look and smell like shit. I know you don't have time to rest and clean up right now, but what about Aresa? Her hair was sparkly and beautiful when I first saw her. Now it's uh..."

"Trust me, I know we are in dire need of some R&R right now. After the portal is taken care of, we're going to rest in Thule for awhile before joining you in Viseux. As for Aresa, she'll just have to deal with it for now. It's too much of a risk to have you and our guests cleaning up in Thule alone. Demons are tricky to deal with, there is bound to be a few who invade the town. That's why some of the Lizardmen and Guardians are going to stay inside of Thule."

True, it would be pretty risky to stay here.

"Alright, guess I'm on my way then. Good luck Markus. Say goodbye to the others for me."

Hera disappeared at some point so it's just me and Markus in here now.

I stand up and walk out of the temple.

Outdoors, things have changed a little. There's now another Eldritch waiting to enter the portal instead of a bunch of Lizard soldiers. It resembles a chameleon, except it has at least a hundred or more eggs growing out of its back.

I swear those eggs look like they're getting bigger every second too... Actually, they might be? They probably decided to send this Eldritch instead of more soldiers because it's going to create a bunch of spawn the second it gets to the other side. If it spawns them here, it'll result in a heavier load on the portal is my guess.

As I move closer to the portal, the Eldritch stares at me with one narrowed eye.

"... I'm supposed to leave right now. If that's a problem, take it up with him." I point towards the Hydra.

Not bothering to wait for a response, I jump through the portal. On the other side I can see Aresa resting on a log with the girl wearing a wedding dress, and the Crotia I battled earlier is standing nearby.

Ugh, he's one of the representatives? I hope he's nothing like the Crotia I met in the past.

As I get closer to them, the Crotia speaks first.

"You, the one from earlier. Show me that spell again."

Does he mean the invisibility or the bombs? Janet's soul is gone now so he's shit out of luck if that's what he wants to see.

I activate my aura, quickly sneaking up behind him before turning visible to tap him on the shoulder.

"This what you wanted?"

"Hmm..... Is it something you can teach?"

"No, this is... Something like an ability I got a long time ago. And even if it was magic, I sure as hell wouldn't spread it around."

The Crotia grinned. "Good."

"... I see now. You were planning to attack me if it was magic."

"Clever girl, that's exactly what I was going to do. I do not know what the cons are to such an ability, but on paper it is far too powerful. I did not see or hear you approach, nor did I see you circle around to the other side of our casters. If there was a chance it could be shared with others, you would need to be dealt with. Here and now."

Both the girls looked surprised hearing that. Aresa stood up, stomping over towards the Crotia.

{Hey asshole! Shall I tell your master that you were already about to attack one of us?}

"Go ahead, tell him. He trusts my judgement, which is why I was chosen for this role. Now be a dear and lead us to your wagon. We have a long way to go, yes?"

"I don't care if the Lord supposedly trusts you, your attitude is pissing me off as well Ishar. You should not forget that we were given complete autonomy, so I would have attacked you the moment you showed any signs of aggression." The girl said.

"Oh how very scary~. A human girl who's trained alone in her soul realm for years? What a frightening opponent! Zero combat experience, only self-training in an isolated environment... I'd spear you on accident while I'm fighting the white haired one here." Ishar laughed, then continued. "Now enough of this, take us to the wagon."

Aresa looked at me.

"It's fine, show us where your wagon is. Regardless of whatever position he thinks he has over us, our first priority is still getting you home."

Aresa glares at Ishar, then turns around and begins walking towards the North side of Thule.

I can't beat him right now, that much is obvious, especially now that I've lost Janet's bombs. Still though, one day I'll be strong enough, and then I'll consider eating him, taking that spear for myself in the process. Also, is he planning on having this attitude in the capital of Urza? They're already going to be ready for war the second the Ifrit Legion tells the people of Viseux about an Eldritch deciding that this moon now belongs to him. If a Crotia ally of the Lizards shows up and starts picking fights, I don't think it's going to end well for him.

"Very nice! I wasn't sure what to expect, but this is a damn good wagon." Ishar said.

He's right, I can't believe she spent most of the previous trip on top of another wagon with me when she had this wagon designed for queens waiting for her.

Behind Aresa's wagon, another one pulls up and the driver tips his hat to us.

"Huh? Is there someone else coming as well?"

{Um, Markus wants us to take Keith's group as well. He doesn't want to risk leaving them in Thule chained up, especially now that they've proven they'll work with Demons. He wants us to take them so they can be branded as soon as possible. 'More soldiers for the work to come', he said.}

Ishar winced. "Branded huh... Got some crazy ass criminals back there eh?"

Aresa takes off the black mesh and umbrella I made her, handing them to her driver who places them in a storage compartment near the back.

{No need for now. The temperature is controlled inside the wagon.}

Aresa climbs into the wagon, followed by Ishar, and then the orange-haired girl. Except allowing her to go first led me to seeing something I really shouldn't have.

After climbing inside and sitting next to Aresa, I point at the girl. "You really need some clothes. Your ass was in full view just now."

"T-That can't be helped! I was in such a hurry to reach the battlefield, that I forgot to change after using the dagger to attune my home to the temple. I'll warp back after we are assigned homes in this 'Viseux' of yours, I promise."

"Admittedly, even I found it a little strange when you showed up in a tattered dress and panties for your bottom half. I wondered if it was a cultural thing from your world." Ishar said.

{You can't meet dignitaries with those clothes, and you look as dirty as I do. So you were going to need to clean up regardless of what you dressed in before coming here.}

The wagon began moving, but it was barely shaking at all.

"And it gets even better! Now this is luxury..." Ishar said.

Aresa pokes my arm to get my attention.

{This is thanks to your family. They are the ones who showed us how to create wagons that wouldn't bounce everywhere. It was very expensive though!}

"Oh? You're a family of craftsmen? I didn't expect that." Ishar said.

"They were merchants actually. Although I guess in my world, there isn't much difference between the two professions."

{Why is that?}

"Lots of competition for merchants over there... I think? I just remember that we had a massive garage where my family would tinker with everything they planned to sell, making sure it all worked."

{What happens to your home and all their valuables, are they yours now?}

"Pfft no, they would have picked my family clean the second we were declared missing. Unless... Wait, maybe my uncle was able to claim everything?"

That would mean it's all still there... I really hope that's what happened.

A loud rumbling erupts from far off in the distance.

"What's that? It sounds like an avalanche."

"That's probably the Demons' first wave of invaders breaking through. At least, I assume that's what it is." Ishar replied.

Outside the window from the direction of the portal, I can see multiple balls of fire spouting into the air along with a long plume of black smoke.

"Forget avalanche, that looks like a volcano erupting."

"It might actually be one? Demons are too clever for their own good, and more patient than one would expect. I wouldn't put it past them to somehow send an entire volcano through the portal. Not that I would know how that's even possible." Ishar said.

{If the area is covered in lava, will they be able to purge the portal? Or even kill anything that comes out from it?}

"... Unlikely, which may be their intended purpose." Ishar replied.

"Hang on, I thought volcanoes erupted because of some kind of phenomenon related to the planet? There is no way they altered Urza that far down." The girl said.

"Your thinking is too linear. Those are volcanoes from our realm, understand?" Ishar replied.

... I see. There's no guarantee that the Demons landscape operates the same way.

{I hope everyone survives...}

I want to reassure her, but I'd be lying if I said that I know everyone will be fine.

Poor Markus, it looks like he is gonna have to delay that R&R even more.